Chapter 38

The group had gathered at their usual spot in the campus canteen during the late morning, filling the large table with noisy banter and clinking plates. Ayaan, however, was unusually quiet, his sharp eyes focused on Naina, who was sitting across from him. She was animatedly talking to Meera about an assignment, her hands gesturing slightly as she explained something. Ayaan leaned back in his chair, studying her, trying to decode the layers she always seemed to keep hidden.

Arjun nudged him. "You're unusually silent today, bro. What's up?"

"Just thinking," Ayaan replied nonchalantly, taking a sip of his water.

"Thinking about Naina?" Meera teased, winking at him.

Naina froze mid-sentence, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second before she quickly looked down at her plate. "Stop it, Meera," she mumbled, her voice barely audible over the table's noise.

Meera grinned. "I mean, come on, Ayaan's been sneaking glances at you for the past ten minutes."

"Alright, that's enough," Ayaan said firmly, though his lips quirked into a smirk. His gaze flicked to Naina, who was still avoiding his eyes.

The conversation shifted back to casual topics, but Ayaan's mind wasn't in it. He needed to know where Naina stood. Her hesitation, her guarded reactions—it was driving him insane. Finally, as the group started dispersing, he saw his chance.

"Naina," he called out, catching her just as she was about to leave.

She turned, slightly startled. "Yeah?"

"Can we talk?"

Her brows knitted in confusion. "About what?"

"Just come with me," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Without waiting for her response, Ayaan led her down a quieter corridor and into an empty classroom. He closed the door behind them, the faint creak echoing in the silence.

"Ayaan," Naina said cautiously, glancing around. "What is this?"

He stepped closer, his intense gaze fixed on her. "I need to ask you something."

"Okay..." she replied hesitantly.

"How do you feel about me?"

Naina's heart skipped a beat, her palms suddenly clammy. "What?"

"You heard me," he said, his voice steady. "How do you feel about me?"

She blinked, her mind racing. "Why are you asking this?"

"Because I need to know," he said simply. "I've been trying to figure it out, but you're not making it easy."

"I..." She faltered, looking away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ayaan stepped closer, his voice dropping lower. "Don't play dumb, Naina. I'm not blind. I see the way you look at me sometimes."

"I don't—" she started, but he interrupted her.

"You do," he insisted, his eyes searching hers. "And then you pull back. Every time. Why?"

She crossed her arms, trying to create a barrier between them. "Because it's... complicated."

"Complicated how?" he pressed.

"I just... I don't know, okay?" she said, her voice breaking slightly. "I don't know how to do this."

Ayaan sighed, stepping back slightly to give her space. He studied her for a moment, his expression softening. "You're scared," he said quietly.

Naina didn't respond, her silence confirming his suspicion.

"Look," he said, his voice gentle now. "I'm not going to push you. But I'm not giving up, either. Whenever you're ready to talk about this... about us, I'll be here."

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with vulnerability. "Ayaan..."

He stepped forward again, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I mean it, Naina. I'll wait. But just so you know... I'm going to break that guard of yours someday."

Before she could respond, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. "I'll see you later," he murmured, pulling back with a smirk.

Naina stood frozen as he left the room, her heart pounding.

~•~

The group was gathered again for lunch, their chatter filling the canteen. Ayaan sat beside Rohan, his gaze occasionally drifting to Naina, who was sitting with Meera and Ananya. She seemed more relaxed now, laughing at something Meera said, though she still avoided meeting his eyes.

Arjun suddenly slammed his hand on the table. "Alright, guys, truth or dare."

Everyone groaned, but he grinned. "Come on, it's tradition."

"Fine," Meera said. "But make it interesting."

The dares started off harmless, but when it was Ayaan's turn, Arjun smirked mischievously. "I dare you to kiss the cutest girl in this room."

The table erupted into laughter and gasps, but Ayaan didn't flinch. He stood up, his face calm, though his eyes sparkled with mischief.

As he walked around the table, everyone leaned in, expecting him to head toward one of the random girls sitting nearby. Instead, he stopped right in front of Naina.

Without a word, he leaned down and kissed her cheek, lingering for a moment before straightening up and walking back to his seat as if nothing had happened.

The table fell silent for a beat before erupting into cheers and whistles.

"I knew it!" Arjun exclaimed, pointing at him. "I knew something was going on!"

Naina's face turned crimson as she stared at her plate, too embarrassed to respond.

"Alright, relax, guys," Ayaan said, holding up his hands. "Nothing to see here."

The group eventually settled down, but Ayaan couldn't help glancing at Naina every now and then. She was quiet, her expression unreadable, and it frustrated him.

~•~

Later that afternoon, as the group was preparing to head home, Ayaan caught up to Naina.

"Hey," he said casually.

She glanced at him, her face still slightly red. "Hi."

"Walk with me," he said, nodding toward the path leading off campus.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because I want chai," he said with a grin. "And you're my chai partner now."

Despite herself, she smiled faintly. "Fine."

As they walked, she finally spoke. "Why did you do that? In front of everyone?"

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"You know what," she said, narrowing her eyes.

Ayaan shrugged. "If you're the cutest girl in the room, what do you expect me to do? Lie?"

"You could've kissed someone else," she muttered. "There are people way cuter th—"

His expression darkened slightly as he stopped walking and grabbed her hand. "Don't ever tell me to kiss anyone else again," he said, his voice firm. "I won't."

Naina stared at him, her heart racing. "Okay," she said softly.

They continued walking, the tension easing as they reached the chai stall. Over steaming cups of chai, they talked about random things, their banter light and easy. For the first time in days, Naina felt herself relaxing around him again.

As they walked back, Ayaan glanced at her, a soft smile tugging at his lips. She was still holding back, but he could feel the walls slowly coming down. And he wasn't going to stop until they did.

🩵